GET THE PERFECT GOLF BALL FOR YOUR GAME

Selection

Buying Tips

FAQs

Selection

Golf Galaxy is your home for the best golf balls. Tee off with confidence when you have the right ball for your game—it's the first step to lowering your score.

Discover Tour-proven golf balls specially created to maximize high swing speeds while offering increased distance and spin control. When a PGA player reaches for a golf ball, you can guarantee it’s going to be from the Tour line. Premium-performance golf balls are ideal for average golfers with moderate swing speeds who still want many of the popular technologies found in the Tour balls. Value golf balls are great for beginners. Ladies, consider specially made women's golf balls, which are generally two-piece, Surlyn-covered balls produce longer distances.

Looking at gifts for golfers? Personalized golf balls are a great choice. Add a name, initials, monogram, nickname, favorite saying or inside joke to your favorite brand to create your very own custom golf balls.

Buying Tips

If you’re looking for more distance and less movement on the ball, consider two-piece balls with features like “maximum distance” and “low spin.” Select a three-piece ball or more if you want the ball to curve more and stop faster on the greens. Four-piece, five-piece and six-piece constructed balls feature a softer feel and higher spin rates. If you have a higher swing speed, you will benefit from the additional layers.

Know the material of your golf ball cover. A surlyn cover is the most durable. A urethane cover is much softer and offers a softer feel and greater control. Ionomer covers are similar to urethane, but harder, resulting in greater distance with less greenside spin ability. Get more speed and greater touch around the green with the exceptionally soft-yet-durable iothane covers. Softer than surlyn, get greater feel and control with urethane covers.

Reflect on the last few rounds you played. Your prevailing issues should impact your choice of golf balls.

Look for the ball with the right compression. Harder golf balls with a 90 or more compression create less spin off the tee, providing further distance. Softer balls with a 70-80 compression offer more spin with low irons and wedges, delivering better stopping abilities on the green.

Determine the best golf balls for your game by reviewing our Golf Ball Comparison Chart. This helpful guide provides buying tips, product comparisons and golf ball reviews to help you find exactly what you need.

FAQs

What is the difference between golf ball piece counts?

Modern golf balls range anywhere from two- to six-piece constructions. Two-piece golf balls feature a core layer and an outer cover; multi-layer golf balls feature a series of core/mantle layers and an outer cover. Deciding which golf ball construction best suits your game is dependent on swing speed, skill level and desired performance.

Which golf balls are best for beginners?

Two-piece golf balls are commonly viewed as the best fit for novice or high-handicap golfers. The larger core construction maximizes distance while minimizing spin, leading to longer shots with greater accuracy. A thicker cover construction also allows for greater durability if the golfer hits a wayward shot. Taking the core and cover constructions into account, two-piece golf balls are ideal for golfers with lower swing speeds because of the added distance, penetrating trajectory and reduced sidespin they offer.

Which golf balls are best for mid-to-low handicappers?

Multi-layer golf balls are designed with experienced, mid- to low-handicappers in mind. The series of core/mantle layers elevate control and feel to allow golfers to sculpt shots and generate shot-stopping spin command around the green. A characteristically thinner cover construction further enhances spin control while providing the soft, crisp feel serious golfers demand. The levels of control and performance golfers can achieve with multi-layer golf balls make them popular with those who have faster swing speeds and more consistent swing characteristics.

How can I make sure I choose the best golf ball for my game?

The best way to make sure you’ve picked the right ball is to come into your local Golf Galaxy store for a golf ball fitting. You’ll be invited to step up to one our golf simulators to test as many golf balls as you’d like. A Golf Galaxy associate will analyze the distance, trajectory and spin of each ball you hit and help you find the perfect match for your swing.

Once you’ve decided on a golf ball, it is important to stick with your choice for a few rounds in order to understand how it performs within the scope of your game.

What is core compression and how does it affect golf ball performance?

Core compression refers to the overall density of the golf ball. Golf balls with a low core compression rating—60 – 80—were originally designed for novice, junior, female and senior golfers. However, they are now gaining a following of more skilled golfers, as well. The low compression rating of these “soft” golf balls allows for more deformation of the golf ball at impact, especially with metals and longer irons. This deformation of the golf ball reduces spin rates on low/mid lofted clubs, which translates to straighter ball flight and more distance. When using short irons and wedges, contact between the golf ball and clubface is prolonged, which results in a softer feel compared to higher compression golf balls.

Higher compression golf balls—90 and above—are generally designed for more experienced golfers with more aggressive swing speeds. Since golf balls with higher compression rates are harder to deform and spend less time on the clubface, golfers with faster swing speeds are able to achieve greater command and control over the golf ball.

Why do golf balls have dimples and why are dimples important?

It has been said that dimples are what makes the golf ball fly, similar to the wings on a plane. The golf ball begins to slow down the instant it leaves your clubface due to environmental factors such as drag. Dimples create a thin layer of air that clings to the surface and travels around the back of the golf ball to increase lift and decrease both wake and aerodynamic drag. Testing proves that without dimples, golf balls travel a significantly shorter distance and fly with far less predictability.

Since differing dimple patterns and shapes have a range of impacts on the way golf balls perform, manufacturers are constantly testing and working to improve them. Varying dimple shapes, patterns and sizes affect distance, the stability with which the golf ball flies and spin rates on both full and partial shots.

How does using a damaged or scuffed golf ball affect my game?

The cover layer of your golf ball is constructed to exact specifications in order to consistently perform a certain way. Scuffs, cuts or other damage to the exterior compromise those specifications and cause your golf ball to perform in a slightly unpredictable, unintended manner. Imperfections on the cover change the way air and drag interact with the golf ball and ultimately lead to the loss of distance and accuracy. For instance, if some of the dimples are shallower than others because of a scuff mark, your shot could potentially end up anywhere from 3 – 5 yards offline and up to 6 yards shorter than your intended distance. It is important to monitor the condition of your golf ball to ensure it is performing to its peak potential.

Premium, multi-layer golf balls commonly feature softer cover compounds, such as urethane. This material tends to resist cutting on poor clubface contact, but they are more susceptible to cutting when the ball comes in contact with harder surfaces like trees and cart paths. Two-piece golf balls, or golf balls with lower core compression, commonly feature firmer cover compounds, such as ionomer. This material tends to be more durable and resists cuts on both poor strikes and contact with harder surfaces.

Which golf balls do the professionals use?

While many different golf ball brands are used on Tour, the most-used brand on Tour is Titleist. The majority of professionals play the Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x.

GET 15% OFF WHEN YOU FIRST SIGN UP FOR EMAIL
Plus, be the first to know about sales, special offers and more.

*Price Promotions

Due to manufacturer restrictions, select new release and other specified products are excluded from price promotions. Additionally, there are restrictions on the use of coupon codes. Select products/brands include: Adams, Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, ECCO, FootJoy, Mizuno, Nike, Odyssey, PING, Pinnacle, Scotty Cameron, SkyCaddie, TaylorMade, Titleist, Top Flite, Tour Edge Golf, Under Armour and Zero Restriction. Promotions are limited to one code per transaction. Cannot be combined with any other offers or coupons or used on previously purchased merchandise. Coupon valid on golfgalaxy.com purchases only. Not redeemable for cash, gift cards or store credit. No reproductions or rain checks accepted.